Surgeonfishes: Tangs for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
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by Robert (Bob) Fenner

Hi Bob,
I love your articles, you are one of my favourite writers in the
magazine!
I really like Tangs, they are my preferred marine fish and I
currently have 4 in my 140 gallon aquarium. The tank is 127 cm
long and my question relates to the best way to aquascape this
aquarium, as I am not happy with it at the moment. I have a lot
of live rock in there, which is built up on the back wall of the
aquarium. I have started to wonder whether this way of
aquascaping is best for the fish that I have got. The problem is
that the tank is run using the Berlin method so the live rock
provides the bulk of the filtration. I think I should be
providing more swimming room and open space for the tangs, but
reducing the amount of live rock may have a detrimental effect on
the filtration if that makes sense? Can you suggest any way
around this issue? My Nitrate is currently at 5ppm with ammonia
and nitrite both at zero.
Thanks and keep up the good work
Gareth Crawley

R: Thank you for your kind words
Gareth. I too greatly favour the family Acanthuridae for aquarium
use, though there are some dogs amongst the group, and in diving
a great deal around the worlds tropical reefs, one is given to
more understanding about who can be crowded with whom in and
amongst Doctorfishes. Without knowing what species you house I am
at a bit of a loss to state how you might proceed here but I do
definitely have landscaping ideas to share.
First, I am in confluence with your mentioned desire to provide
open, swimming spaces for your aquatic charges. Tangs are in
constant motion during daylight hours in the wild and in
captivity, and our systems are woefully small compared with the
spaces they cruise on the reef. That being said, rather than the
too-typical wall of rock many hobbyists conform to, if your
system is wide enough, I suggest your devising stacked bommies
of rock maybe better described as pillars of upright
arranged pieces providing visual breaks and a fun obstacle course
for your fishes to swim through.
Now, fashioning these pillars can be done in a few ways. If you're
very fortunate, you may have rocks that can simply be placed one
on top of t'other. Do take care here if this is the route you go.
A better, more stable route is to either drill and peg the rocks
together or epoxy them together and let dry/set up a bit before
re-emerging.

To respond to your last point, regarding the possibility that
simply piling rock may lead to filtration problems I am in
agreement. One wants to have circulation at least behind such
assemblages, and really I am not a fan of such arrangements in
any case I say, tear down those walls! In your case, 5 ppm of NO3
is no big issue. I would not be concerned with this trace amount.

Zebrasoma Tangs Together - Need a Much Bigger Tank (3/9/05)
Hi, <Hello there. Steve Allen with you tonight.> I
have a 4ft long tank and I... <Please capitalize the proper noun
"I" for the benefit of our readers.> <Thanks
for correcting! Marina> ...was wondering if I could keep a
yellow tang and a striped Sailfin tang together? I have lots of rock (
about 100 pounds) and I plan to get about 40 pounds of live rock. I
have an Ocean Clear filter with a 600 gph pump and a Magnum 350 filled
with glass rings for the biological activity. <The rock will
provide plenty of bioactivity, so you may want to devote the Magnum to
mechanical filtration with less emphasis on biofiltration.>
Soon, I am going to get a AquaC Remora. <Get a Pro.>
The other fish include: 2 damsels, and a Hippo tang. So could I keep a
striped Sailfin tang and a yellow tang together in my tank?
<To be brutally honest, No. I would not put either of these into
such a small tank with a Hippo Tang. They are too likely to hurt it.
Also, Yellow Tangs need a minimum of 80 gallons and Sailfins really
ought to have more like 180 since they get quite large. Even your Hippo
will find this tank small eventually. At least 120 gallons are
recommended for them. I would suggest you consider suitable
alternatives. Check out Scott Michael's "Marine Fishes"
handbook.> Thanks <You're welcome--hope this
helps.>

- Shoe-horn Quarantine - Greetings Crew, I
really hope you can help me to keep a Naso Tang alive. I
currently have a 3.5" (mouth to tail) Blonde Naso Tang that is
frightened of absolutely everything. His gills and fins
begin to flap like a hummingbird's wings any time I get near his
tank, turn the lights on or off or anything inside or near his tank
moves. He turns nearly black in color, with white
spots. There are times when gilling is normal and he regains
normal coloration but I must remain completely still for several
minutes to see this. What really has me concerned is his lack of
appetite. I have had this Naso for three days now and I have
still not seen it eat. This is my third Naso and all three
have suffered the same symptom of not eating. Although the
first two Naso Tangs died, I have had very good success with all my
other fish so I had hoped I just happened upon two unhealthy fish
previously and this one would live a long life. The only
difference with this fish is that it does appear to have eaten at some
point before I received it. The previous two Nasos were very
thin (concave, in fact) but this one is more rounded -
"full-bodied". This Naso is currently in a 20 gallon QT with
a 2" Purple Tang. <You should separate these fish - not a good
size for two tangs.> I have not noticed any aggression (they were
added at the same time). <Still... too close a quarters.> For the
first day I also had a flame angel and a tiny clown goby in this tank
as well but I have since moved them to my 55 gallon QT. <I would do
this the other way around with the clown and goby in the smaller
quarantine and the larger fish in the 55 - even better would be to have
the Naso in there by itself.> Ammonia and Nitrite is at 0 PPM,
Nitrate = 20 PPM, salinity = 1.023 SG and temp = 79 Degrees
F. I perform ~20% water changes every third day (using water
from my 180 gallon main tank). The tangs showed signs of
Cryptocaryon so I medicated with CLOUT for three days, until all white
spots were gone. I am not using copper at this time because
I used this on the previous Nasos and thought this might have played a
part in their lack of appetite as I have read that some tangs are
sensitive to copper. <Perhaps.> I have tried feeding Formula 2,
Nori, Spectrum pellets, flake food, chopped silversides
(Selcon-soaked), Zooplankton and even brine shrimp (Selcon soaked) but
the Naso has shown no interest in any of these. The purple
tang seems to like all of these. What else could I try?
<I'd stick with the algae and other green foods - what you might
want to try is thaw out some frozen formula two and then press that
into a chunk of live rock and re-freeze. When it's feeding time,
thaw out a little bit and place in the tank. This should allow the fish
to duplicate its natural feeding behaviour which is picking at algae on
rocks. Again, I'd remove the second tang from this tank so there is
no competition for this food.> Is there any "irresistible"
fish food? <Not that I can think of other than live algae growing on
live rock - this is what they eat in the wild.> I QT all new fish
for 4 weeks (or 4 weeks after the last signs of ich). I use
the drip method to acclimate fish over about a 45 minute
period. I feed any existing fish in the tank before adding
new fish and I leave the lights off for at least four hours after
adding new fish to the QT. There are two cave-shaped pieces
of live rock in the QT for hiding. I try to remain out of
sight of the tank except for feeding for the first day or two, until
the fish get accustomed to their new surroundings. What else
could I do to make the transition easier for this fish? <Remove that
second tang.> What could I possibly do to get the Naso to eat?
<Have detailed my ideas... can't think of much else.> Are
Naso Tangs of this size just not hardy, do you see any issues with my
husbandry or do you think I just had a very bad coincidence (3 very
sick Nasos - 1 from my LFS and two from an online store)?
<Combination of factors - capture and transport is very stressful,
and this usually takes weeks to come down from.> I have considered
moving the Purple Tang to the 55 gallon QT but this larger QT contains
a 6" Powder Blue Tang, a porcupine puffer, a flame angel, 3
ocellaris clowns, a Longnose B/F, a Royal Gramma, a Lawnmower Blenny
and a Clown Goby. <My friend, you have too many fish in this
quarantine. You really need to be dealing with and then placing one
fish at a time. Additionally, you have too many tangs... you're
going to have problems in the long run with this mix.> I think the
Purple Tang would probably hold its own with the Powder Blue but the 55
gallon QT is already a bit crowded and I also thought the Naso might be
encouraged to eat by watching the Purple Tang. <I think you're
overcrowding your quarantine.> What are your thoughts regarding what
I should do - move fish? <Slow down - one fish at a time.>
different foods? medication? fish shiatsu? buy a larger Naso Tang that
is eating at the LFS instead of taking the risk on smaller fish?
<None of the above - you need to adjust your behaviours. The fish
are just reacting to the situations you are putting them into.> Any
suggestions are greatly appreciated, as I do not want to be
unintentionally harming this fish or wasting money on a type of fish
that is "impossible" to keep. I did not think Naso Tangs were
supposed to be delicate fish. <They typically aren't.> Are
Blonde Nasos more/less hardy than those that are not from the Red Sea?
<Not that I'm aware of.> -- Greg <Cheers, J -- >

- Mixing Tangs, Follow-up - Thank you for the
prompt reply. You said my current mix of tangs has you
concerned. These fish have been together for six months now.
<Not really a long time if you think about it.> Is this an
indication of an aggression-free future or are you more concerned with
their size and temperament as they grow? <Things will change as they
grow.> The 7" Hippo Tang is currently the largest fish in the
tank but it is frightened of its own shadow so I am expecting it to
continue to be docile and timid. The Yellow Tang is about
3.5" long, the Purple Tang is ~2.5", the Powder Blue Tang is
about 6" and the Kole is approximately 4". They
are all aggressive at feeding time but are otherwise very accommodating
of each other. <I don't think this will last.> I am hoping I
have lucked-into a docile group of community tangs. <I think your
luck will run out.> Do they often get significantly more aggressive
with age? <Yes.> If they do eventually become aggressive, I will
have to move some of them to my 55 gallon tank anyway. <By that time
they will be too large for a 55.> Aside from the potential tang-tang
competition, does the current situation present a problem for a small
group of Banggai Cardinals? <No.> I do value your advice so I
will not buy the cardinals if you feel their lives or health would be
compromised in my tank. <The cardinals are really the least of my
worries. Tangs are armed with fierce weapons and can make mince meat
out of each other. Cardinals know when it's time to get out of the
way.> -- Greg <Cheers, J -- >

Tang advice Hi Crew, <hello> I have a very
quick question today. I am planning to add a 2.5" Purple Tang to
my 180 gallon aquarium, which already contains a 3" Yellow Tang.
The fishes in my 180 tank have been established for six months so I
plan to rearrange the rock as I add the Purple Tang. My question is:
would I have less risk of aggression if I add two Purple Tangs rather
than only one? <no the purples would fight also> I
will be adding other, smaller fish to my 180 with the Purple Tang so
there is not only one "new fish on the block" but I am a
little concerned that the Yellow Tang might focus only on the Purple
Tang and develop aggression issues. <from my past experience they
will fight at the beginning but the aggression will most of the time
pass>(this could take a month or so) but it is taking a risk,
because the yellow tang may stress the purple and he could get ich and
spread to other fish. You would be better off with a different type of
tang (different body shape) I currently have a powder blue tang and a
regal tang together with very little aggression. good luck MikeH>
Thank you in advance for the advice. -- Greg Wyatt

- Compatibility of Purple Tang and Desjardinii
- I think the exchange below answered my previous question,
except one of my conditions is slightly varied: namely, both the purple
and the Sailfin are about 5". So I guess it's who knows?
<Nah... I predict trouble. Especially if the tank isn't big
enough. Cheers, J -- > "Mixing Zebrasoma
Tangs Mr. Fenner, I hate to bother you again but I need to
ask you one last question. I am purchasing a Sailfin and purple tang,
is this a wise choice or would they fight and not be compatible.
Currently I have a Naso tang as well. I feel really bad to email again,
and I have look at your comments at you site, too. Again, I am sorry
for asking this question. I can imagine you getting tons of email
regarding similar questions. Thanks <If these animals are
started small (three inches or so total length), AND the tank large
enough, otherwise not already too crowded, these Zebrasoma should get
along.... though with some ceremonial "jousting" for the
first few days. Best to place at the same time/day. Bob
Fenner>"

Just Had to Have More Tang.. >Hi WWM Crew,
>>Hello querier. >Sorry to be a pest, but I'm after your
view on handling a situation. >>You make it sound as though you
got drunk and got a really bad choice in tattoos, mate.. what
happened? What were you thinking?? >I have a 135G
(6') fish only with live rock set up. Until yesterday
the inhabitants were: 2 Melanopus Clowns (approx 1-1.5") 5 Blue
Chromis (all about 1") 1 Bicolor Angel (approx 2-2.5") 1
Powder Blue Tang (approx 2.5-3") 1 Unicorn Tang (approx 2.5")
- I think it's a Naso unicornis too, it will probably out-grow my
tank eventually. >>If you don't kill it first, that would be
a yes. >Everything was going well, everyone eating and getting nice
and fat. >>Sounds like you're not a fish killer so
far. What about that tattoo? >Yesterday I introduced a
Blue Tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus) approximately 2", but quite
plump and feeding well. I know this is probably not the
ideal stocking order, but the market is quite small here in Australia
and I only have a couple of LFS that I trust, so I don't always
have a choice. >>The stocking order isn't the only issue
here, my friend, it's also the fact that you got a fish that is
quite close in size to the "homeowner". There
really ought to be a significant disparity in size when doing this
"mixing o' the tang" bit. You're on the
right track mixing different genera, at this point I think it's the
size thing that's buggered you. >The Powder Blue Tang did not
accept his new tank mate well at all. >>Nope! >He had never
really given the Naso too much trouble, but then the Naso was in the
tank before he arrived. >>There ya go, even with the lack of size
difference, establishment was spot on. >The PB Tang had been in the
tank a month or so and had obviously established himself. I moved the
decor around to see if it would help (usually helps with Cichlids!) but
no luck. >>Heh.. not with the SMART cichlids! I've
had plenty of Africans who KNEW that it was still "their"
tank, and have had to give them "time-outs" as long as two
full weeks, along WITH the redecorating! >Things settled down after
lights out, but this morning after lights on he was back pestering the
Hepatus again. >>He won't be dissuaded it seems.
>I have removed the PB Tang to a 55G (4') QT and the Hepatus is
settling in nicely in the main tank - I figure I'll give the
Hepatus a week or two to settle in and try reintroducing the Powder
Blue. >>Perfect! You are on the right track
here. Exactly what I would do and here you've gone and
done it. Are you psychic? And what about that
tattoo? >Is there any other thing I can try? >>This is the
course of action I would take. Both fish are small enough to
live in that 55 for quite some time, clearly your Powder blue isn't
ailing (SO common for folks), quite the sassy fish he is, so, let him
have the 55 all to himself. I'd give him the full two
weeks, just to be safe. And the Naso? He sounds
like a horse I had, NOTHING phased him. >I guess if nothing works it
will be a matter of deciding which Tang gets traded-in at LFS!
>>Well... we're loath to do this though, aren't we?
>Thanks, John >>You're welcome, John. I think
the time-out scheme should work. Marina

Yellow Tang Harassing New Tankmates I know
I've read that Tangs should ideally be added last, but this was
after the fact (I still have to learn the hard way sometimes).<we
all do> My Yellow tang (2.5 inches) shares my 50 gal. tank with a
Royal Dottyback. They've gotten along for about 4 weeks now,
and I've added to the mix, two Firefish and a small clown goby.
(yes, they were quarantined, and were healthy, fine when I moved them).
However, the Tang immediately began harassing my clown goby, and
didn't recede, so he moved back to the QT. The Firefish seemed to
be taken in by the tang, although the Dottyback /did/ make sure they
didn't get near her "turf". <yea, pretty territorial
fish> However, the next morning, I found that one Firefish was
missing and the other was looking very very nervous in the top corner
of the tank. The Dottyback was leaving it alone, but the tang would do
her usual passing back and forth, and if the Firefish was near, the
tang would attack.<yes, sometimes tangs just randomly attack fish
and most of the time kill them> I moved the nervous Firefish back to
QT,<smart move> and found about 30 min later the other Firefish
emerged from under a rock.<probably hiding from the aggressive
tang> This one seemed fine, but darted back to safety when I tried
to remove it to put back in QT. It hasn't emerged from safety in
about two hours. I figure I'm going to have to remove the tang from
my tank,<I would> but I was wondering if there is anyway to see
if I can get these guys to live in harmony;<I wouldn't risk the
lives of any of your fish...best to remove the tang ASAP> or at
least in some sort of peace. I had read that tangs don't usually
readily attack other fish except for other tangs. What am I to
do?<remove the tang, Good luck, IanB> Succulent
Shrimp? Like to say first, thanks for help in the past and
keeping the site as great as it is. <Surely! Ryan with you
today> My questions, any idea why my purple tang is picking on
the cleaner shrimp <Yes, tangs can be highly territorial and be
intolerant of anything in their space.> ...and is a Episcopal
Miter - Mitra mitra okay for a DSB? Was looking for a fighting
conch to cleanup the debris on the DSB, LFS told this would be a
safe alternative. <Hmmm...An odd choice, but sounds
suitable.> About 6 weeks ago came home to find the shrimp
missing and pieces of antenna about, thought it was a molt but the
shrimp was MIA. He showed up a few days later less his antennas and
some legs. Never had problems before. Shrimp finally had a molt
last night and was back to normal size and out all day. Just was
watching the tank and shrimp was back as far as he could go under some
rock. As I was shining a light on him to see better, he came out only
to have the tang trim off some antenna. <Do you have a sump you
stick him in for a few weeks?> No changes to the tank other
than lost a yellow wrasse that when carpet surfing a few weeks ago and
added the snail. All parameters okay but for a outbreak of hair algae.
<Good> Tank is 75g FOWLR, up since Oct/02, tang added late
Dec/02, shrimp Feb/03. Tang's now about 4.5-5".
Others are 2 clowns and a Dottyback. <You can try and remove
the shrimp for a while, and then bring him back. But, now that he's
drawn blood it may be in vain. You may want to try a more substantial
shrimp. Or offer lemon and butter. :) > Mark, Edmonton Alberta
(they're forecasting up to 25cm of snow by tonight) <Ryan,
San Francisco, CA. They're forecasting clouds this week! Don't
know how you snow-types manage. Best of luck, and get that shrimp out
of there!> Toastyoat Tangs Hi there, I have just
found your site out of desperation, you seem to know your stuff please
help me!! <Sabrina here, I'll certainly try> I
have had my marine tank for about 2 months now I have LR which is doing
ok and everything else seems ok except the fish. I am currently
buying fish, they last for about a week or so then die. I had a powder
blue tang that died I never noticed any illness before hand. Then I
purchased a clown tang and a vampire tang, <Yikes.... the
clown I assume was Acanthurus lineatus? Or A. sohal? The former being a
giant terror, the latter a giant not-so-terror. And the vampire, from
what I can gather, do you mean Acanthurus olivaceus, the orange
shoulder tang? Another giant terror - your two tangs would've had
some serious problems with one another down the road at least, unless
you have an enormous tank, so that may be part of the issue of having
lost them - just pure aggression. Not to discount illness or water
issues, though, just mentioning that behavior toward one another might
have been a real issue, as well.> both seemed fine until in a
matter of 24 hrs, <The low pH you mention below may have been
the culprit here, if you hadn't seen any aggression - but then, who
knows what happened after lights out.... the clown tang loss lots
of weight started swimming at the surface, stopped eating then lost its
balance then died. The vampire tang much fatter eating lots apparently
in good condition, although I noticed even when I brought him he was
rubbing him self against the rocks, not much but every now and
again. <The scratching is very likely a sign of ich, to which
many tangs are very susceptible.... more on this protozoan parasite
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm Try not to purchase fish
that exhibit signs of illness (including scratching), and please think
about employing a quarantine tank:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm > The tang was
fine until about a week after the clown and again in a matter of hours
he darkened, lost lots of weight and balance and died. I am new to the
marine system and I change 10% of my water every week with pre mixed ro
water from my local fish shop. <You really might want to
consider mixing up your own saltwater, unless you have very major
benefits with the store water; it's not very difficult, and
you'd have water on hand for emergencies or whatnot, and you would
know exactly what's going into your water - basically, you'd
have more control over your water quality.> The ammonia levels
a fine the nitrite levels are fine <Fine being what? What
about nitrate and salinity/specific gravity, as well?> but the
ph levels are out PH are lower 7.4 I have not checked this for about 3
weeks. Is this the problem and any tips on how I can bring the PH back
up. <A problem? Yes, very much so. Could even be what's
been causing the fish deaths - though illness cannot be discounted,
especially after such signs as the fish scratching. You should rectify
the low pH, perhaps with a buffering product (many such products
available), be certain not to overstock/overfeed, etc. - more on pH and
alkalinity here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marphalk.htm . To help
further and try to get you pointed in the right direction(s), more info
on your system would be helpful - tank size, filtration, etc. Please do
take a gander through the linked articles; there is a great deal of
very, very useful information there. Also please browse through the
rest of the marine articles http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
as you're sure to find stuff that will interest you, and help
get/keep you up and running. Wishing you well with your new tank,
-Sabrina> Thanks for the advice, Scott

Toastyoat Tangs Take Two Thanks for the
reply, <You bet> I have the pH back to normal and I
have found a new supplier of fish. I have decided to leave the tank to
settle back down for a month or two, it seems to be a much happier
tank. <Sounds like a plan! Hope all goes well for you.
-Sabrina> Thanks again, Scott Tang Compatibility
10/8/03 If I add an Achilles tang to a tank with an established
Purple tang, will there be fighting? <quite likely... and more
importantly, Achilles require very large aquaria and extremely strong
water flow. Not appropriate for community aquariums. Anthony>

- Livestock Compatibility - Hi there! Well, I really
appreciate your help here. I know you have helped me out of
a jam or two before, so I figure you may have another
answer. Thanks for before by the way. So,
here's the situation. In my tank, 80 gallon, 80 lbs of
live rock, wet-dry filter, and skimmer, I have a purple tang, a juv.
emperor angel, and a Moorish idol. I tried having a long
nose butterfly and a Copperband, but the purple tang and Moorish idol
have been the two most aggressive fish I have ever had. I
tried quarantining them for a while and moving the rockwork a bit, but
they drove both butterflies to an early grave. <Likely the
"This tank isn't big enough for the both of us."
syndrome. The Moorish Idol and Tang perceive your new additions as
competition for the same foods.> So, I have been thinking about a
new addition to the tank, but wouldn't want it to be a new victim.
I was wondering what you thought about adding an Indian Yellowtail
angel. <Because this is a full-size angel, I'd expect some
trouble from the Emperor - you need a larger tank to mix these.> I
don't know if they would harass it and from the research I've
done, it seems to be a little aggressive. Do you think it
could hold it's own? <The new fish in the tank is always at the
disadvantage.> I can only quarantine one fish at a time and was
thinking I could quarantine the purple tang when adding the angel?
<If you can only quarantine one fish at a time, then only add one
fish at a time.> Since the emperor seems to be the most passive fish
and is still very young, I am not too worried about that. <Then
I'd be concerned for the Emperor... if I were you, I'd leave
this tank as is and enjoy the tank as-is - under-stocked. Will get much
better long-term results this way.> So, I would be interested to
hear your take on the whole situation. Thanks in advance!!
Big Al <Cheers, J -- >

- Livestock Compatibility - HI again and thanks, <My
pleasure.> Two short and sweet questions: Flame Angel and the
emperor - Sailfin tang and Yellow or blue tang How compatible are
these?? <I think the Flame Angel and the Emperor would be fine
together given enough places for the Centropyge to hide, get out of
sight. Likewise, I think the two tangs would likely get along, although
you can expect the larger of the two to attempt to be the boss.>
Thanks. <Cheers, J -- >

The Tang That Ate His Brain? (Pt.2) Thank you so much for
your help. I think it is fantastic that such a great
resource as wetwebmedia.com exists. <We're so happy to be here
for you!> Is it possible that the brain will heal if the trauma
stops? <It certainly is possible...I'd maintain very high water
quality and observe the animal carefully. If necessary, you may need to
"protect" the coral for a while by surrounding it with a
"cage", which can be nothing more than one of those plastic
containers that fresh strawberries come in. water can get in and out,
but not fishes...Either way- keep on top of things, and the coral will
pull through fine! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Steven O.
Garcia

-Yellow and Kole tang together?- Please help! Much
to my dismay, I was unfortunately led to believe (by my local fish
store) that it would be ok to put a Kole Tang in with a Yellow Tang of
the same size. <Actually, besides the standard new addition
aggression, it should work out just fine.> I have a 56 gallon
Perfecto tank. <Not sure about the dimensions on that one, but I
would recommend that tangs of this size (I read ahead!) be in at least
a 4' long tank. That said, if this is 4' long, and both of
these fish are 3", I don't see a problem.> I plan on taking
the Yellow Tang back to the store tomorrow, but for future reference,
could you please advise me on the best fish to put in a tank with my
current inhabitants? They are as follows: 1 3" Yellow Eyed Kole
Tang 2 Peppermint Shrimp 1 2" Maroon Clownfish 3 Turbo Snails 1
Purple Pseudo <Being that you'll need to remove almost any tang
you choose (the Kole may be alright) for this tank once they become too
large, you may want to stay away from them. How about a Centropyge
angel? Lemonpeel angels, while they may nip at coral, are a beautiful
yellow with blue rings around the eyes. It would be a great yellow tang
replacement! Good luck, -Kevin> Thank you so much for any advice
you'd be able to offer!

- Tang Choices - I was wondering if I got a powder blue tang
would work out instead of the clown tang with the other fishes I have
listed. Thanks for your help. <The powder blue tang is typically a
poor choice as they don't do well in captivity for a number of
reasons. Again, large tank size is crucial and you left out that
information again... please read up on the various tang choices you
have here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/tangs,.htm
<Cheers, J -- >

Adding a tang? 09/04/03 Hello David here again. <Hi David,
PF with you.> Over the past year or so I mailed u guys a few times
and always get some good advise. This time I need info again if
possible. To make a long story short I would like to add 1 more tang,
but I know that this is not easy to do as I have tried this already and
fell hard. I was thinking of adding a hippo tang but don't know how
the other tangs would react towards a new tank mate. I was hoping you
could assist. My setup is a Coral tank 700 litres (160G or
so) with sump running 4 about 30 months. My livestock has changed a bit
so here we go again Fish: 1 Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosus) 1
Midas blenny (Ecsenius midas) 1 Brown Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) 1 Sailfin
Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum) 1 Magenta Dottyback (Pseudochromis
porphyreus) 2 green Chromis (Chromis viridis) 2 Tomato Clowns
(Amphiprion frenatus) 2 yellow Watchman Goby's (Cryptocentrus
cinctus) 1 Sleeper Goby (Valenciennea strigata ) Inverts 3 cleaner
shrimps (Lysmata amboinensis) 1 coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) 3
turbo snails 3 Astrea snails 1 hermit crab and a crab that came out of
the live rock. 40 kilo's of live rock and a lot of corals Thanks
David <Well, David, I'd say no. You have two tangs already, and
as you learned the hard way, they are very territorial. If you want
some more fish, I'd recommend some more green Chromis, they like to
school. Have a good night, PF>

Two Tangs... Ok I wanted to update you from my previous email
and tell you that things tend to be clearing up. The larger sailfin is
not chasing the regal as much, I think because I'm feeding more and
both are eating well. also the ich on the tang has almost all but
cleared, it was never bad, 5 or 6 spots. I understand ich's life
cycle all too well and understand its going to make a comeback.
<agreed, this has happened to me. 6 neon gobies and 3 cleaner shrimp
can only do so much until they are overwhelmed. You must treat your
fish with copper or they will perish> But with two cleaner
shrimp and not as much chasing should the tang and tank make a full
recovery? <the cleaner shrimp will be overwhelmed very shortly my
friend> I'm in the process of restocking, I've got two
butterflies waiting for me at the LFS, so the last thing I need is ich
problems already. <agreed. you are going to have to take all
your fish out of the main system and let it go fallow for 4 weeks...
just like I had to :(..you can keep the inverts in the system though...
ich does not prey upon inverts> If I should now try and trade the
sailfin. if so can you recommend a more peaceful tang replacement?<I
would not go with another tang...most of them tend to fight with one
another> I would like to have two tangs and have thought about the
Naso etc. but I wouldn't go through the trouble if you thought the
two I have would be fine and stress free. <if they fight you have to
separate them, if they don't fight then you should be ok> Also
the aquarist I bought the sailfin from had him in a 75g with another
6-7in regal, if that matters. thanks in advance. <I would not
add this tang...think about different species of fish, angelfish,
wrasses (reef-safe), etc. good luck, IanB>

Quick Question: Tangs, Cardinals, and Tomato's Oh My... -
08/14/03 Howdy Wet guys and gals <Hi Paul, PF with you
tonight> Would a Kole Tang and a Yellow Tang do okay in a 90G tang,
or would they fight? <I'd say fight. I wouldn't try it
unless the tank was at least twice that big, if not 3 times. Remember,
in the wild these animals have territories in the yards, unless your a
public aquarium, all you have to offer them is feet.> Also, are you
familiar with the Longspine Cardinalfish (Apogon aptacanthus)
<No, but I just researched the Apogon aptacanthus. ;)
>. I heard that they could be kept in groups that would
school. <Yes, that's what I've read. They're a schooling
species, and sound like a nice addition.> How many could be
kept in a 90G that has a Kole Tang, Tomato Clown ( maybe a little too
aggressive for them ), <I'd leave the clown out>
Flame Angel, purple Dottyback <Do you mean the orchid
Dottyback, Pseudochromis fridmani? They can be kept in pairs, if you
get them young. I had a breeding pair myself (and am still kicking
myself for selling them). , and a Copperband butterfly <Copperbands
I would not recommend. Have you looked instead at the long nose
varieties? Much hardier, and easier to train on commercially available
foods. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/forcipig.htm
Copperbands are corallivores, and while some make the transition, many
don't. To answer your original question, I'd say a group of 5
would be good, remember, always keep odd numbers to help spread
aggression out.> Thanks, Paul <You're welcome, have a
nice night, PF>

Mixing of Tangs... Can be a Problem :( Thanks for the
advice,<you're welcome> but for the sailfin and regal I spoke
about earlier. I have a problem. the sailfin is larger (6in) than
the regal (3-4in) and seems to chase the regal/hippo a lot.<this is
causing stress to the small regal tang... which can result in
disease... most likely ich in these species.> it never nips or
causes damage to the regal, he just constantly chases him when he gets
a chance.<again very stressful on the smaller regal tang> I
q-tined both for 45 days separately while my tank was recovering from
ich. and introduced both a day apart.<ok> now the regal has a
slight case of ich and I can't figure out where from.<STRESS>
but does this have a lot to do with the sailfin chasing it? <YES!...
the regal tang needs to be separated from the mean Zebrasoma sp. tang
and treated for parasites> should I remove the sailfin?<you need
to choose one of the two to keep in your aquarium...the Zebrasoma sp.
tang will almost always chase him...causing the regal to get ich. good
luck, IanB>

- Chewed up Sailfin tang - I have a sail fin tang and a clown
fish. <Hellooo, Kevin here, it's 2 am after a long night
of unpacking fish and coral. Ahh, the joys of Southwest
airlines...> My water levels are fine. I have a few
live rocks. My tang is a pig and eats everything I put in, almost like
he is starving all the time. He looks like his
fins have been completely picked off. Other than that his
color looks good. Will his fins ever grow back?
<They should, although they may still appear ragged in some
spots> I have had him at least 6 months and the
loss of his fins has been gradual. Help. Any assistance is
greatly appreciated. Kim <Sounds like your clown is doing it
when you're not looking. You may want to isolate it for a while and
see if the fin damage still gets worse. If it does, it's got fin
rot or some other fin eating disease. Keep it well fed and happy in the
meantime. Good luck! -Kevin>

Two tangs...is always a risk hey guys,
I had a question for you. I have a
60 gallon hex tank with a Eheim canister filter(732 litres per hour), a
red sea Prizm protein skimmer, 60 lbs of live rock, and 30 pounds of
medium grain aragonite, and 4 penguin 300gph powerheads. I
wanted to stock a scopas tang and a blue hippo tang
together. Their body shapes are pretty different, so I think
it shouldn't be a problem, but you never know. <agreed, I cannot
give you a definite answer. you can try it and if they get along..
"great" and if they don't they must be separated>
Other tankmates will be a medium common anemone, med-large green button
colony, small devil finger leather, large mushroom rocks, Candycane
coral, torch coral, 1 fire goby, and 1 Randall goby.<sounds good>
Do you think the two tangs will fight or will they have enough room.
<again, it all depends> Also with that kind of load do you think
I could handle 3 Banggai cardinals???<I would keep your aquarium as
is...if the tangs fight then you would have to remove one. maybe you
can replace one of the tangs and add the cardinals?>thanks<no
problem, IanB>

Fighting tangs I as expected my yellow tang is beating up on
my Kole tang? I had them for 2 weeks with no chasing fighting anything
then the other day the yellow started to beat him up he's got
minimal scratches nothing bad. I want to take them both back and get
something peaceful for tank but trying to catch 3" tangs in a huge
reef=virtually impossible so I'm trying something new I'm
leaving tank lights off and covering it up with a black sheet for 3
days so the Kole can recover and maybe they'll behave they never
did do this till later on and the poor Kole isn't trying to pic the
fight just swim and eat :( can thanks for all the help JM <I would
catch one of these fish or both.. (if you wanted to bring them back).
you definitely have to separate them. I highly doubt the black sheet
thing for 3 days will do any good. A good way to catch these tangs is
to wait until about midnight when they are "sleeping" lol and
net them (there eyes are not used to the light yet) good luck,
IanB--who is back from LA!>

Mixing tangs I have a 4 inch Sailfin tang and I was wondering
if I could add a 3 inch purple tang along with a small yellow tang.
From what I hear, tangs are peaceful when there are 1, 3, or 5 or more
in a tank. <Often, tangs such as these may have trouble adjusting to
one another, as tangs with conspecific body shape (such as
purples/Sailfins/yellows) antagonize each other in aquaria. Add them
with care and observation, perhaps altering your aquascape to change
the perceived territory of the original Sailfin. Best,
Chris>

-Hippo and Yellow tang compatibility- Can I keep Blue Tang
(Hippo/Regal tang) together with Yellow Tang in 90g tank? Thanks
<Yes, but do buy them small as they will likely outgrow your
aquarium. Also, in the future, please condense your questions into a
single email, it's a whole lot easier for us. Thanks!
-Kevin>

Two Tangs... Could be Trouble Hi I've added 2 fish to my
just finished cycling 75 gallon reef. I put a yellow and Kole tang I
figure if I introduce them at same time they'll be less time and
time for them to find a territory the both look at each other and turn
around and back up to each other backwards but no switch blade comes
out then they run and both hide do you think they will get along?
Thanks JM <It all depends, If they start to fight I wouldn't
hesitate to separate them, Good Luck, IanB>

The "Tang Factor" What up crew? <Howzit? Scott
F. here today!> I've got a compatibility question for you, and I
believe I know the answer, but wanted to confirm my
suspicions. I'll start with my tank specs: 45 Gallon
tank (36"x 12" x 24") Aqua C Remora Whisper 3
powerfilter (for carbon / water movement) 2 x 250 gph powerheads 75 lbs
live rock (50/50 Tonga/Florida Gulf) 4+ inch DSB (sugar fine aragonite)
4 x 55 W power compacts (2x10K / 2 actinic) Current inhabitants: 1
yellow tang (3") 1 coral beauty (2.5") 3 Mexican Turbos 7
blue leg hermits 7 scarlet reef hermits 1 small colony of green polyps
I plan to add some additional corals in the future, but that's
another post, so I'll stay with that. Now, on to the question...I
made the mistake of putting the yellow tang in as my first resident,
only to discover later this was probably a bad move. <Well- yeah, it
was...He'll need a larger tank down the line, too, okay?> I saw
this first hand when I added the coral beauty, who was constantly
harassed for the first week or so. Over a few months they
seem to have grown quite fond of each other and regularly graze on the
LR side by side. <Glad to hear that> However, I want to add one
or two additional fish to my community and am concerned that they will
get bullied relentlessly. <Well, to be honest, I'd make it one
more fish. You've gotta allow some room for that tang...> I have
ordered today a red headed solar fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
along with a red marble starfish (Fromia sp.) from live
aquaria. My quarantine tank is ready and waiting, and they
will reside there for 3 weeks minimum, giving me time to make any
adjustments I may need before adding them to the display. Will it be
possible to house the fairy wrasse and the established tang together?
<Well, the fairy wrasse may be a bit timid at first- and if the tang
is as "high strung" as you've been describing, it could
be a potential problem, at least at first.> I would be willing to
return the tang if need be, however would hate to lose
him. I would assume that simply placing the fairy into the
tank with the tang would be a death sentence for the
wrasse. I thought about putting the tang in the QT when
I'm ready to add the fairy and keeping him there for a couple of
weeks before returning him. <Well...Glad you have a quarantine tank.
However, you'll need to quarantine the wrasse for at least 3 weeks,
THEN you could do this "switch maneuver". No sense in going
to all of the trouble of putting the tang in "time out", only
to bring in potential disease with the wrasse! You could also
re-arrange the rockwork before returning the tang.> Is there still a
big risk here? <Yep- unfortunately, there is...> I would rather
not rearrange all my rocks, as I have them placed exactly as I want
them. <Bummer...However, it may be necessary. Unfortunately, the
tang requires a fair amount of space, and in the absence of sufficient
tank space, it may very well assume a "this whole tank is
mine" attitude, and make life miserable for everyone else! Bottom
line? In my opinion, he needs a larger tank.> Additionally in the
future I would like to add a shrimp goby of some sort as my
final member. Possibly Orange Spotted (Amblyeleotris guttata) or Orange
Stripe Prawn Goby (Amblyeleotris randalli). Will he too have
a problem with the tang? <Well, they inhabit different niches in the
system, but the tang's intimidation could still be a factor. I
really like these gobies, but they also can be a bit timid at
first...It's a calculated risk, IMO. Again, I'd say that a
larger tank may be in order...Easier said than done, I know- but the
"tang factor" will be an issue for some time in this tank>
Thank you all, your guidance and contributions to this hobby are
immeasurable. Best Regards, Jesse Boca Raton, FL <Thanks for the
kind words, Jesse! You sound like you've got "the right
stuff" for success...! You just need to make a decision on that
tang! Hang in there, and good luck! Regards, Scott F> Best Regards,
Jesse

Tang vs. Angel Hi guys, <Hi David, PF here tonight>
Quick Question...(I think) <It's the quick ones that turn into
War and Peace... ; ) > I have a 800 litre tank with the following
fish: Yellow Tang Bristle Tooth Tang Coral Beauty Clown Damsel Emperor
Angel The Emperor is the latest addition and has only been in my system
for two days, the Tangs are giving him a hard time particularly the
bristle tooth. The Bristle tooth is a real menace and I have taken many
fish back to my LFS because of him. I have about 60 kg.s of live rock
in the system and if anything I thought the Emperor would put the Tang
in his place. Emperor is about 18cm. This morning I noticed a small
hole in the side of the Emperor, funny enough just the size of a Tang
scalpel. The question is do I rush home and remove the offending tang
and in the process rip half of my tank apart or will they sort
themselves out. Thanks in advance. David Cape Town South Africa.
<Well David, I think the answer boils down to whether or not you
want to keep the tang or the angel, one of them needs to go. You can
let them sort it out, but the tang to me sounds like a trouble maker.
It could also be the presence of two tangs that is causing the
aggression, tangs generally don't get along with other tangs. Have
a good evening, PF>

Tang vs. Angel >Hey PK, >>Marina here this morning,
methinks you mean P-F? If so, he's attending a wedding,
be gone till July. >Thanks for the prompt response. >>I'm
getting a psychic message....he says..."You're welcome!"
>Got home yesterday with the intention of ripping my tank apart to
remove said Tang and whilst drinking a cup of tea and observing them
found that they seem to have sorted themselves out. They are not
bothering each other at all anymore and therefore I shall leave him be
for now. Will most likely move the rockwork around a bit as an extra
precaution, however am trying to keep my hands out of the tank as much
as possible in order to minimize the stress on the
Emperor. He seems to be doing fine and is eating anything
and everything that is put into the tank. Will the tang-inflicted wound
heal itself or should I treat with anything. >>I would suggest
adding Selcon, or similar quality food supplement--soak his food in it
daily (you should only need a small bit) for the next two weeks, as
long as water quality is high he should heal on his own without further
interference. If not already, I also suggest adding some
Nori to the diets of the angel and tang. This is a good
medium to deliver the aforementioned Selcon. From previous experience
with my tangs they usually heal up in a matter of days. Not that they
are bludgeoning each other to death but the bristle-tooth in particular
gets himself into a fair bit of trouble. This tang can be a real nasty
S.O.B. but I've gotten kinda attached to him, he has character and
cleans up real good. I don't think it will be long now before the
Emperor starts ruling with an iron fist anyways. >>Heh,
agreed. Odd that the two tangs didn't have it out, but
such is life. Clearly, your Bristletooth is a character, and
one to be reckoned with, too. >Thanks for the great site
and all the invaluable teachings that you guys provide, pity I
wasn't given a link when I started my first tank 4 years ago, I
could have saved myself a lot of heartache and money. >>Indeed,
but now that you know, do spread the word! Best of luck to
you and your wards, David! Marina

"Reef-Safe" Purple Tang? 6/15/03 I have a 55 gallon
tank. It has a Colt Coral, Torch Coral, Large Pearl Bubble, Open Brain
and a Green Daisy Polyp. I have one fish in there. He is a purple tang.
He has been in the tank a few weeks and has only recently picked at the
Open Brain and just the Open Brain. He picks at it just like he does
the live rock. Is this OK? <not uncommon unfortunately... and not
OK. It will kill the coral(s) in time. Zebrasoma tangs are often picky
on corals. The American hobbyists tend to tolerate it... but several
prominent European books/authors do not regard tangs as reef-safe at
all. I agree that they are serious nibblers at times.> Will it hurt
the Open Brain? <will kill it for certain in time. They must be
separated> What should I watch for? I don't want to move this
fish back with my Foxface Rabbit, Coral Beauty, and Blue Headed Wrasse
in my other tank if I don't have to. Is the Open Brain like a rock
to the tang or has he developed a taste for meat. <the latter> I
feed him Two Little Fishes Seaweed, Formula one, Sweetwater Plankton,
Flake food and Mysis Shrimp. Happy Father's Day!..............Chet
<to you in kind, best regards. Anthony>

Mixing tang(s) Hey guys, this time I’ll keep it
short. <Okey doke, Don here today> My tank has
been set up for about 3 months and everything is going well. (Once
again thanks for all the advice before) <Glad we could help> This
time want to get your view on putting two tangs
together. I’m referring to Acanthurus japonicus and
Acanthurus sohal . I know that you’re not supposed to keep
co-specifics together, but these two seem not to be look
alike. My tank is 90gal with 35 gal sump. I have
over 100lbs of live rock and about 40lbs of live sand. Right now I have
1 Foxface , 1 yellow tang and 1 Kole tang. All of the above
are about 4 inches in size and seem to be doing very well (yellow tangs
tries to boss other two around sometimes) <Since you
already have two tangs and are adding two more, you are combining 4
tangs. In a 90G tank, this is 3 too many IMO. The yellow is likely to
become more and more aggressive and the 4 fish will range from
8-18". Too big for this tank. On the other hand if there is no way
to have above two together which one is better suited for aquarium
living. <The A. japonicus would be the better choice of the two, but
not with any other large fish in this size tank.> Any
suggestions are welcome. Once again thank you for your help. <No
problem, Don> Pavel S.

Multiple tangs, friend or FOWLR <Hi Ron, PF with you
tonight> Hello- I have a 72 gal fish only tank/ No live rock that I
just cycled for 4 weeks with 2 yellow tail damsels. I am interested in
keeping a fish only tank no more than 5 med size fish) but I am getting
mixed signals on the compatibility of the fish I want to keep. I was
wondering if you could help? First, the fish I want to add
the most is a Dwarf/Zebra Lionfish. I was also interested in adding
yellow tang and a hippo tang. I realize the size of the
tangs need to be large enough to avoid the mouth size of the dwarf
Lionfish. I was told that the tangs are not such a good idea in a fish
only tank. I thought they would do fine in a fish only set up as I
provided daily greens. I also want to add a Long nose butterfly fish.
Last I would consider a Flame Angel. I don't want to over crowd. I
think these five would be the limit base on my tank size. Please tell
what think about the compatibility of these five. -Thanks Ron <Well,
IMO the problem with four of them is the same: the tangs, the
butterfly, and the angel: all like to graze on LR. The problem with two
tangs is that tangs generally don't like other tangs, unless you
have a large tank (like 300g+ large). The tank itself is too small for
the Hippo tang, the yellow tang would be a much better choice. I would
advise adding LR to your system and letting it sit fallow for a few
months so it can build up a population of copepods and amphipods, then
introducing the butterfly first (these are the butterfly's
preferred food items), then the tang, then the lionfish. This will keep
you bioload light, as these fish are robust eaters and all that food
has to go somewhere. Have a good evening, PF>

Purple Reign (Adding Another Tang With a Purple Tang) Hi
staff, <Scott F. on call today!> I have a question about adding a
small Hippo Tang to my tank. Currently I have a 180 Gallon tank with a
large Purple Tang, (6 inches length) and many other assorted small
Angels, small Triggers and a Clown fish, all very much
established in the tank, (over 9 months). The purple tang has been
doing great in my system for about 8 months. I would like to add a
small Hippo Tang now (3 inches), but have heard mixed
opinions about doing this, considering the temperament of the Purple
Tang, (now the tank dominant) and with mixing Tangs with him, but some
say it's ok because these fish are not the same sub species of
tang. <This is usually a good theory- varying tangs by genera often
works. However, your tank may not be able to accommodate another
sizeable fish like the tang. Sounds like you've got a good mix of
fishes, and you want to keep everyone happy and healthy for the long
run...These tangs can reach 10 inches plus!> I have about 100 lbs of
Live rock in the display and plenty of hiding places. I guess my
question is... If I add the Blue Hippo tang, will the Purple
Tang try to kill the Blue Hippo or just torment him for a few days
until they eventually get along... I have seen this when I added other
new fish of different genera? <It could work fine- or it could be a
real problem...largely depends on the Purple's personality. Purple
tangs have a well-deserved reputation for being belligerent to other
tangs. I'd feel better about this project if the Blue Hippo Tang
was in the tank first...> Has anyone tried mixing Large Purple Tangs
with Hippo Tangs? Do these fish, because they differ so much in shape
and color eventually settle in nicely together ok? Please let me know.
Thanks, Chris <I've seen these two species together a number of
times, but, as mentioned above- usually the Hippos were in there
first> The other thing I did not want to do is introduce ick back
into my system... Blue Hippos seem destined to acquire or find new ick
in a system when very stressed and the immune system is weakened.
<Excellent observation, and good conservative thinking. Quarantine,
which is vital for any newly introduced fish, is absolutely
indispensable when working with tangs. Also, excellent water quality is
very important. Think it over...Think about the long-term ability of
the tank to carry another sizeable fish...Those triggers can get quite
large...Good luck. Scott F>

Tangling With Tangs... I have a 330 gallon reef tank with
excellent water quality and was wondering if a white faced tang would
be an alright addition to the tank. The fish I have now are: 1 flame
angel 1 diamond goby 1 blue damsel 2 tank raised clowns 1 4" Sohal
tang Would a 4" white faced tang be an okay addition to the tank?
<Well, as far as the capacity of your tank is concerned, I think it
can handle the additional fish. However, the Sohal tank is, ounce for
ounce, one of the meanest tangs around, as far as compatibility with
other tangs is concerned...You could try- but it may be a better idea
to try a larger White Faced Tang; the thought being that, if it's
another genus, and a larger specimen, then the Sohal's aggression
will be less of a factor...All in all, I'd say it's a
calculated risk- your call here! Go with your gut feeling on this one,
once you've got all of the facts. Good luck! Regards, Scott
F>

- Re: Sick Flame Angel - Thanks for your response Jason
<My pleasure.> - interestingly it may be the Yellow Tang who is
intimidating the Flame. <Well, I'm glad I asked - I once had a
Rusty Angel [Centropyge ferrugata] hassled to death by a tang -
there's only so much they can take, and need to graze as much as
the tangs do.> I will do as prescribed. The look has
changed but the same excellent service you provide us mariners is still
there - excellent! Regards, Mike <Cheers, J -- >

Poorly Tang <Hi Troy, PF here.> Hello, Haven't
written to you for over 6 months, which is a good thing <Well, you
could just write to say things are ok over on your end of the
world.>, as my tank was running ok. Well I got home today and my
yellow tang is hiding behind a rock, and doesn't seem to be able to
swim. My Picasso trigger and algae blenny are both fine. I tested the
water all levels were zero except Nitrate 0.25 (slightly pink).
<That’s not a bad level for a FO tank.> So I did a 20%
water change. Added in some stress relieve stuff and watched. Well the
tang can swim but not very well now and the trigger who used to get on
with the tang better than me and the wife has started to attack her.
<Unfortunately, not that uncommon for triggers who got along fine
with their tank mates to turn on them as they get older and territorial
instincts kick in.> I don't have a have any means of separating
them so I just have to keep distracting him by stroking him on the
glass (he likes this). <You could put a divider in, eggcrate (the
stuff they have under the fluorescent light fixtures) works well for
that. > I plan to run to my marine shop in the morning for advice,
but I need to know what to do tonight. <Nothing short of separation
will keep your trigger from separating your tang from this mortal coil,
I would advise either getting another tank and separating them, or see
if you can trade one of them in for credit at your LFS. Or, maybe
someone nearby could adopt one of them.> Sorry if this is long
winded. <Positively short compared to a few I’ve
seen.> These are all the fish I have. the tank is 90litres <Good
luck Troy, I hope it turns out well.>

Tang Problem Hello to the crew <Hi David, Don here
today> I hope someone can help me To start off i have 700 litre
about 150gal + reef tank .The setup has been running 4 over 2 years
now. My livestock before my problem started was 2 tomato clowns
1(Zebrasoma veliferum ) about 7 cm 1(Centropyge acanthops ) 1(Coris
frerei) 2Chromis 4Damsel (yellowtail) 1(Valenciennea strigata) I had no
problem with this setup 4 months until i wanted to add to more tangs (
a yellow & a brown tang both about 5 cm) I Thought i did my
homework here as i did a lot of reading about adding tangs and this
seemed to be all ok Well i was wrong. The Yellow & brown tang where
fine together in the quarantine tank. The only problem i was aware of
was the Sailfin tang . Well i was right the Sailfin tang
started slashing at the brown tang as soon as i added them, i
didn't know what to do so i moved the Sailfin tang to the
quarantine tank as this was my only option. <Good move!> 12 hours
later the brown tang started with the yellow tang. I then added the
Sailfin back thinking things might turn but no luck , he just kept
avoiding them like they weren't there. I now have moved
the brown tang to the QTank. Any idea how to make them
friends :-)???? <From what you describe it may not be
possible. Different individuals with different personalities and is
sounds ready to fight to the death. I have heard some people have luck
rearranging the rockscape when adding a new fish to help with existing
territoriality. Watch them closely as the fight to the death can happen
very quickly. Good luck with your new fish, Don> Thanks David (Cape
Town)

Re: Tang Problem Howdy Don <Hi David> Thanks a lot 4
mailing me back strange but true this was happening. I have seen some
weird things in my tanks over the years but nothing like this.
Especially with dwarf angels. I glad to inform u my problem has been
resolved :-) <Excellent!> all i did was add the brown tang back a
day later. I then noticed now and then the Sailfin will go for the
brown tang, but nothing special .One more question Do u think this
might be a problem in the future? <From what I have seen/heard the
more they settle in the more comfortable the fish will become in the
tank. Doesn't rule out future confrontations, but makes them less
likely> I don't think any of the fish is taking any stress as
they all look happy and eat well especially the brown tang. He is
ripping through patches of algae already. <Great! Enjoy your new
fishies, Don> Thanks David

Tangling With Tangs! Hello, I would like to
start this email by thanking you and the rest of you who make your site
possible. It is a great source of information. I am impressed that you
even have an "email-and-ask" section. <All part of the fun
world of wetwebmedia! Scott F. with you today!> I would also like to
apologize in advance for the length of this email. <No problem! Ask
away- that's what we're here for!> I am about to set-up a
120 gal tank with rock, water, sand etc. from a 5-year-old established
reef (75gal.) system. This new tank will be mostly SPS and I am trying
to plan what fish would be compatible in this system. It will have a
~20gal. refugium and skimmer as it's primary filtration. <Sounds
nice> From the old tank, I would like to keep my Royal Gramma and my
yellow tang. However, I would love to keep a powder blue tang in this
new tank. I know that this fish has a bad rap but I also know that
there are more than a few people who have kept; and are keeping this
fish healthy. Is the powder blue tang one of those fish that transport
poorly and whose survival is based on its acclimation? <Yep- and the
collection. Many of these fishes are doomed from the start because they
are not collected properly. And when they are mishandled along the way,
it just gets worse...> I ask because my local fish store has a
4-5" specimen that has been in the store for over three weeks and
is eating very well. I figured that this is as good an acclimation a
fish in a LFS could have. Could you please give me any tips for its
care? I plan on searching for more info but I figured I'd start
here and as well as posting in Reef Central. <Well, it certainly is
a good sign that he's eating already. Be sure to quarantine this
fish in your home for at least 3 weeks before you release it into the
aquarium. Even though he was doing well in the LFS, you're not home
free! He could have been exposed to lots of other potentially sick
animals, and really needs careful acclimation, close observation,
excellent water quality, and a diet high in vegetable matter (Nori,
Gracilaria macroalgae, etc). Make sure that all environmental
parameters in your tank are as steady as possible, with very little
fluctuation. Keep the oxygen level as high as possible, and don't
overcrowd. That's essentially the way to succeed with this
fish!> My LFS said that keeping more than one tang in this tank
would be feasible but three is better than two because any aggression
would be more dissipated this way. So what third tang would you
recommend to match up with these two (a yellow and powder blue) or
would you even recommend a third at all? <This is where I start
ducking the tomatoes...! Frankly, I would not keep more than one tang
in any aquarium under 6 feet in length. In fact, I'd probably avoid
more than one in any tank under 240 gallons! Others may disagree with
me fervently, but if you've ever spent time observing tangs in
nature, you'll realize that they need a lot of space to thrive. The
same is true in captive situations. It just doesn't seem fair to me
to pak theses fishes in. If you are thinking of more than one, I would
agree that you should go for three to help disperse aggression. You
need to have different sizes and different genera of tangs for this to
work well. I'd limit myself to, say- one Ctenochaetus, one
Zebrasoma, and one Acanthurus species. I've seen people keep
multiple tangs in smaller aquariums, but that doesn't make it
right. It's your call, but if it were me, I'd enjoy just one
tang (remember, the Powder Blue can reach almost 10 inches in length,
so keep this in mind when stocking the tank. Again, that's my take
on things, but it's your tank and your call here! And, no- I'm
not one of those "Tang Police" guys you'll find on Reef
Central, but I do believe in stocking conservatively with
tangs.> I have a tentative list of fish to keep that I
would like you to constructively critique: -Yellow tang (1) -Powder
Blue tang (1) <Well, you heard my take on the tangs, so make your
call> -Royal Gramma(1) -pair of true Perculas -harem (of 3- one male
two females) flasher wrasses <Wonderful choice for a reef tank!>
-Mandarin dragonet (one) (but after tank is very well est. to give pod
population time to grow) <Great thought!> -Is there room for any
other fish? [i.e.. pygmy Angel (Flame, Eibli, or Coral Beauty),
Firefish, pair of neon gobies, or pair of Banggai
cardinal] - not all of these just one. <If you go
with just one tang, I'd go for the Firefish. Also, you could try a
Centropyge angel. This is another one of those choices that you have to
make based on your tolerances...They can and do nip at corals, so the
very real possibility exists that they me damage some of yours. I like
fish more than I like corals (and I LOVE corals, so you can imagine how
I feel about fishes!), so it's a risk that I am willing to take in
my tank (and my angel doesn't nip my corals...maybe I'm
lucky?). I'd go with the Coral Beauty- seems to have a better track
record than many Centropyge for not chowing down on aquarium corals>
Please let me know your thoughts and experiences. <Again, it's
all about choices here. I see no real flaws with your stocking plan. I
think it's kind of neat to see small fish in a larger tank, but
other people like a few larger fishes in their large tanks- totally up
to you. Just plan around your tolerances, the needs of the fishes and
corals, and your ability to provide a high level of care. You really
seem to have a handle on things, so go for it! Good luck! Regards,
Scott F>

Mixing Tangs Hello! I was wondering
if adding a Doctorfish (a.k.a. Acanthurus chirurgus) would be all right
if regal tangs (a.k.a. Paracanthurus hepatus) were already in the
tank? Would a Doctorfish bother the regal
tangs? Or would they be neither a negative nor a positive
impact? Please respond as soon as possible.
-Lauren
<Should be okay... Given there is sufficient room/size in/of this
system... and difference is starting sizes (an inch or more) between
individuals. Bob Fenner>

Re: manual extraction of Caulerpa sertularoides
I would be interested in a Zebrasoma, if you believe it
fits. I'm concerned about the fish load as well as
compatibility with the other tangs. If not, I would
certainly appreciate other suggestions. <Mmm, looking at your
stocking list below, I have high confidence that a smaller Sailfin,
maybe a Yellow or Scopas would do well here> I currently have the
following in a 110g 60x24x18 tank with 150lbs LR, 200lbs sand and a 30g
sump. Tank houses SPS, a few clams, typical assortment of small
inverts, good sandbed diversity. (1) Kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
(1) Hippo tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) (6) Orange lyretail Anthias
(Pseudanthias squamipinnis) (3) Caerulean damselfish (Pomacentrus
caeruleus) (1) Diadem Dottyback (Pseudochromis diadema) (1) Six-line
wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) Thanks! <Should get along fine,
with minor "jousting" accommodation at first. Bob
Fenner>

- Placing Multiple Tangs - Hi there I was
wondering if you could help me. <I will certainly do my best.> I
have a 330g reef tank with about a 100g sump. I have a 7 inch blonde
Naso, a 3.5 inch Red Sea Sohal and am curious if I could add a 3.5 inch
Achilles tang to this tank? <I wouldn't - you already have some
notorious bruisers in there, and to add a known third... someone will
get beat to death.> Another question, can peppermint shrimp and
cleaner shrimp be in the same tank? <In a tank this large, I think
so.> Do peppermint shrimp perform biological cleaning for fish as
well? <In the wild they do - not as often in captive systems, but
they are 'supposed' to.> Thanks for your time. <Cheers, J
-- >

Stocking an Aquarium Hey Gage, <Hey Frank>
Had some time to think about what you said in regards to my fish
selection, just to recap. I have a Miniata grouper and a
lime wrasse so far both about 4 inches, You suggested next
to put in my blue face angel which I am currently in the market for,
haven't found yet but still looking. We spoke of an Achilles tang
being too disease prone for the other tank mates so I am leaning
towards a clown surgeon their aggressive affordable and durable I have
excellent water quality in the tank ph 8.4 good oxygen concentration I
was going to compliment him with a IO Sailfin but the color variations
are very deceiving to what I have seen in person versus a book.
<Careful with the clown tang, they are rather mean, you'll want
to watch it to make sure it does not beat up the other tankmates too
bad. Good idea to leave the Sailfin out, beautiful fish, but can get
close to 15".> So I am thinking go simple Yellow Tang brightly
colored inexpensive readily available. And finally the
Harlequin tusk last. <Maybe one of the cool color variants of the
yellow tang that Marine center sometimes has, or even the Black tang- a
Zebrasoma similar to the yellow.> Oh yeah the tank is 220 gallons
live rock etc. Is this combination more compatible? <The clown may
get too aggressive, and the grouper is going to get big and nasty, so
watch for aggression and water quality issues. -Gage> Best Regards,
Frank

Tangled Thanks for the quick response, <We are always here
for you! Scott F. with you today> My saga continues. Upon
returning home last evening I noticed about a quarter of an inch cut on
the body of my yellow tang, it didn't look to deep but the area
around it did seem to puff up a little. The good news is the
purple tang seems to have stopped chasing the yellow (I'm not sure
if the purple actually inflicted the wound or if the yellow scratched
itself on the rock). Will a small cut like this typically
heal itself (fish looks healthy otherwise and has started picking at
the Nori I have put in the tank) or do I need to do something with the
yellow to prevent it from getting sick and can it infect its
tankmates?? Thanks <Good question. In my experience, it's often
better to simply leave the fish in the main system, and pay extra good
attention to maintaining very high water quality to discourage and
prevent infection. This is especially important in your situation,
where the "social order" is now falling in to place. Removing
and then replacing this guy could create still more problems down the
line. Keep a very close eye on the fish, and be prepared to take action
if it becomes necessary. Hopefully, he should make a full recovery with
little or no intervention on your part. Good luck! Regards, Scott
F>

Powder blue tang, or not? Hi WWM crew,<Hey there Rick!>
A quick question. I have a 300gal. FO+LR tank to witch I would like to
add 1- powder blue tang. My concern is what are the chances of it
getting along with a 4-1/2" Naso. The Naso is one of the most
peaceful fish I have owned, and is the perfect tank mate to all my
other fish (very well behaved, bothers no-one!). I am aware of
some of the concerns about mixing tangs, but I was
hopping do to the fact that they will be in a 300gal., that
the risk would be minimal. Would appreciate your advice. Thank you Rick
< Well Rick.... This is a tough one! They may go along
fine, I've seen a combo like this done in a 375 gallon
tank. They DID nip at each other everyone and a while
though. OR these guy could fight till one of them
dies! What else is in the tank? You do know that
the Power Blue Tank is an ICH magnet?!?! In my book it WILL
get ICH, it's just a matter of time! I need a little
more info before I could give you a better answer. But still
I don't think I would try it! Best of
luck! Phil>

Re: Naso Lituratus, and Naso Unicorn Hey guys, question for
you. Generally tangs don't mix well, but the Naso is
generally considered pretty mild in territoriality vs. other members of
the species (A. sohal, Zebrasoma family, etc). Anyhow, in a
large tank (800 gals), I have a Naso lituratus (regular lipstick
tang). Anyhow, thinking of getting from someone a unicorn
tang that has outgrown his tank. Do you know of any issues
with the two species in a tank ? The Naso is very very
docile in the tank. <Mmm, well, these two species are found
"together" over a good part of their range... and you do have
a good sized system. I give you good odds that they'll get
along> The tank has a few angelfish, two butterflies, a purple and
hippo tang, and various small dither fish (square Anthias, some green
Chromis), etc. It's currently a lightly stocked tank for
the size, so that's not an issue. I'm mainly
concerned whether the two Naso species have the potential to get along.
. . . Thanks Jim <Bob Fenner>

Powder
blue tang, or not? Hi WWM crew, A quick question. I have a 300gal.
FO+LR tank to witch I would like to add 1- powder blue tang. My concern
is what are the chances of it getting along with a 4-1/2" Naso.
<reasonably good. Be sure to maintain very strong water flow in this
tank. The Powder Blue needs massive flow for long term health/vigor>
The Naso is one of the most peaceful fish I have owed, and is the
perfect tank mate to all my other fish very well behaved, bothers
no-one!). I am aware of some of the concerns about mixing tangs,
<I'm more concerned with over stocking in the long run (3+
years) for the adult size of the tangs and the unmentioned fishes>
but I was hopping do to the fact that they will be in a
300gal., that the risk would be minimal. <the size of the tank has
little to do with the matter. They are dissimilar in shape color and
size and less likely to fight for it> Would appreciate your advice.
Thank you Rick <best regards... Anthony>

Stocking A New Tank! (Pt.2) Sorry last question, <Never a
problem!> In your opinion with a 200 gallon tank is there any chance
I might be ok with a purple tang and a yellow tang. Is one
easier to care for than the other. Thanks <Well, it is possible to
keep both together in a large enough tank. Is it advisable? Well,
that's a judgment call... Mixing two tangs of the same genus is
potentially problematic. The Purple Tang has a more
"belligerent" personality, if you will. It can, however, be
done. The key is introduction. There are two ways to do this, IMO:
Number one, you can introduce two juveniles at the same time, and
provide lots of room and rockwork to break up the territories. If one
of the fish is larger than the other, it should be the Yellow, IMO.
Number two, you can introduce the Yellow Tang first, then introduce the
Purple shortly afterwards. Regardless of which approach you take,
things can still go wrong! One of the fish can dominate, and possibly
kill, the other. Tangs demand a lot of space, and need good food and
stable tank conditions in order to live long, happy lives. Please use
your best judgment when trying this approach. Good luck! Regards, Scott
F.>

- The Battle of the Tangs - <Greetings, JasonC here...>
I have a 65G (36x18x24) reef tank with 380W VHO lighting. Water
turnover is >10x per hour with an additional 500 gph in internal
pumps. I have a very adequate skimmer. I am currently stocking my fish
and I have a question about tang capability. The tank is stocked with
75 lbs of well established live rock. In this 65G I want to stock four
tangs. The tangs are: the yellow tang (Zebrasoma Flavescens), blue
hippo tang (Paracanthurus Hepatus), Kole yellow eye tang (Ctenochaetus
Strigosus) and a powder brown tang (Acanthurus Japonicus). <Please
re-think this plan - this tank is large enough for one tang, and even
then would need an upgrade within a year or two. If you were to place
all four, they would likely eliminate each other to the point that you
were left with only one, perhaps none.> My plan was to introduce
them together to minimize the territorial fighting. <That won't
help in the least. On top of that, you should quarantine each of these
fish before placing them in your display. Please read up on this here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/quaranti.htm
> The total fish count will only be 7 (including 2 percula clowns
and 1 mandarin goby), the rest of the tank is assorted hard/soft
corals. <Please also re-consider the mandarin dragonette, these fish
need a well-established copepod population, which requires at least a
100 gallon tank over a year old. Without these conditions it will
likely starve to death.> What do you think? <Honestly, I
don't think this is a good plan... the Powder Brown Tang
[Acanthurus nigricans] historically does very poorly, and in general
the Acanthurus Tangs are VERY territorial. If you are set on these
fish, consider saving your money for a display larger than 180 gallons.
More information on this tang is available here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm
> Have I got a chance? <You have several, the fish wouldn't
have any with this tank size.> If this works it will be one hell of
a fish display. <When it doesn't work, it's going to be a
really depressing display. Please reconsider your plans.> Jeff
McHenry <Cheers, J -- >

Tang Crazed! Hi Jeff, JasonC here again just with the quick
follow up. Even though I did read your mail twice before I replied, the
fact that you wanted an Acanthurus japonicus and not an Acanthurus
nigricans just popped out at me when I was reading my reply.
Unfortunately, this doesn't really change my answer at all, but I
did want to let you know that I did 'read' your email. Please
check out those links I sent along. I think you will find them useful.
Cheers, J --

Mixing Tangs I HAVE A 55 GALLON SALT WATER REEF TANK, AND I
WAS WONDERING CAN I PUT A BROWN TANG (Z. scopas) INTO MY SYSTEM WHEN I
ALREADY HAVE A YELLOW TANG IN IT NOW. LE ROY <it is possible but not
recommended, my friend. Mixing two tangs from the same genus is always
risky. The 55 is barely big enough to house one of them as an adult for
their territorial nature. I would not advise putting any other tangs in
this tank but you may be able in larger aquarium. Best regards,
Anthony>

Purple Tang Bully Thank you for the advice on placing my
flame wrasse. He was starting to pale out and smash his head
in the QT tank so after a week, no signs of disease I gave him a dip
and placed him in my 55 gallon. <Ah, good> His color is very good
now, but my purple tang has become aggressive. He used to
live peacefully with my maroon clown, but now he is mad and is nipping
clown and wrasse. For the first few days the wrasse would
barely come out and when he did the purple would chase him back in to
hiding. He seems to hold his own a little more now, it has
been five days. But there is a little nip out of the
flame's top fin and both little bottom front fins on the clown are
about half the size they were. I never see the aggression
towards the clown, maybe it happens at night, but it is obvious the
purple doesn't like the wrasse. I thought the clown was
being nipped by a big white-spotted scarlet reef crab, so I removed the
crab, but the nips I see are new. Other inhabitants are 6
tiny hermits, about 1/2 inch, 1 cleaner shrimp, 1 brittle star, and 2
feather dusters, all of which are not bothered by the purple
tang. My question is whether this aggression will continue,
it has been five days and it seems a little better but there is
physical damage, though minor, to the fins of the other 2
fish. The tang of course looks better than
ever. Also the clown doesn't seem to care that the tang
has nipped its fins, it still swims right next to the tang following it
around like it always has. I have 5 little green Chromis,
and 3 neon gobies in QT right now with about a week left, I was hoping
that adding these might reduce the tang's aggressiveness, will it?
<I would try removing the Purple Tang (to the quarantine tank) for
about five days or so... this move, isolation will often quiet down a
natural bully> I wasn't planning on adding any more fish to the
tank after that. But I do have another question about a
blenny I saw in a display tank at an LFS. They called it a
yellow or gold Sailfin blenny from Tonga. They said it was
pretty rare and there was a long waiting list for it. They
didn't know the scientific name for it and I looked through all the
blenny stuff on your web site and haven't seen this particular
one. It is one of the cutest fish I have ever seen, looking
very cartoonish, very big eyes and flat forehead. It has a
fatter and shorter body style than most of the blennies and looks the
most similar to what they call a black Sailfin blenny on ffexpress,
except it was a very bright true yellow. Do you have any
idea what genus this blenny is in so I could research it more, and you
know what it is, is it a good fish for an aquarium or not, also would
it mix with the other fish I have, if I was to ever get one with the
long waiting list. <This fish might well get along with
what you have if the system is large enough. Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/sabertoothblens.htm
What you have seen is likely Meiacanthus ovalauensis> Thank you so
much for the wonderful advice in the past, it has saved my fish. Kylee
<Glad to have helped you help your livestock. Bob Fenner>

Tang nipping coral Thanks for your quick and thorough
response. While I have no doubt that the two corals touching
was or was going to be a real problem, I think I may have found the
more immediate problem. Yesterday morning, I noticed that
the gorgonian was trying to open polyps. I backed away from
the aquarium so the fish could not see me well, and I saw
it. The scopas tang swam over to one of the main branches
and actually pulled a polyp off! <Ha! That cheeky little
monkey!> I guess it wouldn't have been quite so bad, except that
then he spat it out. Five minutes later he did it
again. <heehee... er, yes... I do believe you have found
the immediate source of irritation. Truthfully, I wouldn't have
guessed it. Its funny too... many European aquarists regard tangs as
not reef safe. Most Americans do. We might say that 20% of tangs
collectively will nip coral. "Reef safe": a matter of
perception! G>> Even though he had been in the tank with that
coral for 10 years and never bothered it, I had to trade him for that
>transgression. My LFS was happy to take him off my hands
for "creature credit." Also, I thought he had
gotten too large for a 45 high tank, and he had started to like all too
well the taste of meaty foods (all foods, actually, but especially the
food meant for my slower mandarin!). <agreed on all
counts> Here's the nifty way I caught him without disturbing the
reef. I submerged a thin plastic food storage bag in the
tank, with the bag rolled over like for use as a garbage
bag. After the tang had gotten used to it, I then used my
standard feeding pipette, and fed the tang at first near the bag, then
inside the bag. Greed overcame caution, and he followed the
food into the bag. I closed the top, lifted it out of the
aquarium, rebagged into a tougher fish bag, rubber banded the corners,
put it in the cooler and took it downtown. The capture took
about 5 minutes. <very crafty, my friend... will be posting> I
would like to replace the tang with a smaller, colorful fish that
won't hassle the mandarin, clam or the corals. Do you
have any favorites? I was thinking of a pajama cardinal
perhaps... Thanks for your help. tom <indeed... the cardinalfishes
are very fine. Some wonderful fairy wrasses and Firefish too
(Helfrich's Firefish if your taste is expensive... a phenomenally
hardy and beautiful fish). If you keep this tank peaceful, perhaps some
sunburst Anthias... one of the few hardy and small species. Gorgeous.
Best regards, Anthony>

Re: tangs and Fiji Hey crew, I'm back after leaving you
alone for about a month...i have a 10 gal. tank that i want to put a
Blacktip reef shark in....JUST KIDDING, I'm just amazed at the
mistakes people've made... I got the final ok from the Biology
Department I "work" for- ok, so I'm not paid, but i get
to build tanks a lot with an almost open budget- to upgrade a 75 gal.
salt tank to a 125 gal- so, I've been doing a LOT of research, and
as always get conflicting, usually opposite advice. I have read all
your questions and articles, and this i can't find----If i
introduce a hippo/blue/Paracanthurus hepatus/ tang first-after cycling-
and then add a yellow tang after a few days or 1 week into the 125,
should they be ok for the most part? <Very likely yes... It's
mainly similar-appearing (within the same genus more or less)
acanthurids that fight... particularly when over-crowded> I've
seen them in 125's-and smaller- together peaceably, and I'm
planning for two "bases" of rock forts for them and lots of
open swim space. My LFS owner and the local tank set up, maint,
engineering guy both seem to think they'll be fine- they've
never given me bad advice on anything, but the more opinions the
better- this is hypothetical for now, so no need for water chem- i know
it needs to be as good as possible, and the other inhabitants will be
smallish fish,- 5-7 Chromis, a 3 inch maroon clown and his 14 inch (and
growing) green carpet anemone, 2-3 colt corals, assorted crabs, shrimp-
nothing that should compete with the tangs- no lions or triggers... one
other thing- I'll be in Australia at school from Feb-July to
research my new tank of course...-(my first 3 days are on the barrier
reef)- with a little budget for travel, i will be going to Fiji, any
recommendations for good fish sightings or places to stay in Fiji?
Thanks, good holidays to all <How much time do you have for the FJ
leg of your trip? If only a few days, look to the Coral Coast on Viti
Levu... if longer, and you have particular things, organisms you'd
like to see, let's chat further. Perhaps you'd enjoy, gain from
visiting some of the people in the marine livestock collection,
propagation business while there. Bob Fenner>

Reef Questions Hi, Not sure whether you remember or
not. I write before asking how I can save my sick Powder
Blue Tang. Thanks a lot for your reply, I did successfully
saved it and it now seems very healthy. <awesome... good to
hear!> But another problem arise again. While I thought
PB Tang is reef safe, the one I got didn't seems so. It
is eating my Clove polyp (the one mentioned in Julian Sprung's
Corals: A Quick Reference Guide p. 149). <this certainly
isn't uncommon. In European reef books, tangs are listed as Not
reef safe. They are indeed nibblers. Usually not too bad though> My
LFS says this is unlikely but I'm quite certain since I actually
saw it eating it. <Oh, I believe you! Have seen it myself> And
with just one day, it almost completely eaten all the clove
polyp. Now the clove polyp is in a separate container and
seems recovering. The tang also sometimes nip at my other
soft corals. <and it is going to continue to no matter how well you
feed it. Natural. This specimen must be removed> But other corals
seems less affected. Is there any way I can keep both the
tang and the clove polyp? <yep... separate tanks> Also, from what
I read, corals should be put from each other at least 6 inches apart,
better to be 1 feet apart. <correct for long term
growth: 3-5 year plan, to spare you from having to prune/propagate and
for optimal coral health> So, my tank is now relatively lightly
stock with soft corals. However, the feature tank in this
month www.reefkeeping.com ( http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-11/totm/index.htm)
is quite densely populated. Was he doing a wrong thing or
his corals are carefully selected that are compatible with each
others? <nope... like any aquarist that succeeds this
way. These corals need constant pruning, have extraordinary water
quality (skimming, ozone or carbon, string water changes etc) to
control chemical warfare, and... least glorious of all.. suffers
occasional and random "deaths" of corals die to the unnatural
cording, allelopathy, etc. Still a successful aquarium overall, just
not realistic for most aquarists that don't want a second job...
just a hobby :)> Grateful for your advice. A final question (sorry
for asking so many questions). I'm now changing about 2%
water every two days. If I keep this practice, can I avoid
monthly or bimonthly large quantity water change (say
10%)? Or it still helps if there is a relatively large water
change occasionally? <let your water chemistry determine that. If
numbers are low and health looks good... continue to enjoy your 2%
daily changes> Thank you very much for answering my questions and
your site is really a great treasure to us. Regards, Manus <thanks
kindly, Anthony>

Fish (Tang) compatibility Hi there Bob, <Howdy>
Sorry to bother again, but it's your fault: you said I wasn't
bothering writing 100 km emails, so here goes another one ( by the way,
thanks for the quick reply on the last one ) : <Hmm> My setup, as
described in the previous email, is : 180 g tank around 200lbs of LR
mainly soft corals ( tank is very new, although 90% of the animals and
100% of the rock is from an older tank - this tank was an
"upgrade" - and calcium levels didn't stabilize yet ),
with some LPS , SPS and Tridacnas Assorted snails 4 Lysmata shrimps 1
Premnas biaculeatus 2 Labroides dimidiatus (Yikes... not easily kept)
-------> go figure : I have no trouble keeping them : they eat Nori
( their crazy about it ) , flakes, brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae; I
have 1 for almost a year now, fat as a pig, another for a around 3 or 4
weeks, eating with no problem. 1 zebrasoma flavescens 1 zebrasoma
xanthurum 1 zebrasoma desjardinii 1 Valenciennea Well, as I mentioned
before, I bought a Sohal and a Kole. but today I went to the LFS and I
saw a beautiful 6.5" Naso eating. I know, I know, had to buy it
:-) <Tang crazy!> The Sohal and Kole didn't arrived yet (
they are in quarantine ) so I put the Naso ; I read some controversial
articles : is Naso Reef safe or not ? <In a large enough, well
filtered reef, yes> Some authors say he isn't reef safe because
he's too big and flip things over, others say he eats inverts and /
or coral polyps. He's a tang, wasn't he supposed to be reef
safe ? I'm kinda worried. What's your judgment about this ?
<You have it> The Sohal is around 6 / 6.5 " too . I put the
Naso with the lights out and let my Desjardin and xanthurum with no
food for 4 days. I put the Naso AND food in, they are getting along
fine. How should I make with the Sohal ? (xanthurum and Desjardin tangs
are established in this tank for over an year) <About the same...
the Naso is fast, and likely will stay out of the Sohal's way... it
will be the dominant fish in your system... Naso's ranges
overlap... they're found in the Red Sea...> With 1 x 4"
Kole tang, 2 x 5" tangs ( xanthurum and Desjardin ) , 2 x
6.5" tangs ( Sohal and Naso ) , plus the Premnas , Valenciennea
and the 2 Labroides, I'm at the maximum level of fish in the 180 ?
<IMO, yes> Again, sorry for my loooooooong email :-) Proenca
<No worries. Be chatting. Bob Fenner>

Fish Compatibility I've spent hours reading your
literature at wet web media, what a great page and what outstanding
contribute of yours. It's really a pleasure reading such nice
articles. <Hopefully as much as we enjoy making them available>
So, I've got a few questions for you, and first of all, this is my
setup: 180 g tank around 200lbs of LR mainly soft corals ( tank is very
new, although 90% of the animals and 100% of the rock is from an older
tank - this tank was an "upgrade" - and calcium levels
didn't stabilize yet ) , with some LPS , SPS and Tridacnas Assorted
snails 4 Lysmata shrimps 1 Premnas biaculeatus 2 Labroides dimidiatus
(Yikes... not easily kept) 1 zebrasoma flavescens 1 zebrasoma xanthurum
1 zebrasoma desjardinii 1 Valenciennea I bought a Sohal ( I know, its
very aggressive but its one of my favourite fish :-) ) tang in a LFS
but didn't bring it "home" yet.. I want to buy another
fish ( tang ) , a Ctenochaetus strigosus. Do you think there will be
problems with incompatibility ? <Do think there will likely be
a good deal of jousting at first... but all will likely settle down in
a few days to weeks... with the Sohal 'king of the Surgeon
pack'> I had a Leucosternon and a Lineatus in this setup, they
both died because both the heaters broke (go figure ...) and everybody
got ich, these two didn't made up. <Yes... most likely to be
lost...> The leucosternon and Desjardin get along fine, will the
Sohal and Kole mess up ? Can I add a Moorish Idol afterwards?
<Would not try one here... very low chance of it living for any
period of time> Will the Sohal, after settled in lets say, 1 or
2months bother any other non-tang-fish that I may add (like a school of
Chromis or Gramma loreto ? <A few, odd-number of Chromis would
likely about it for this tank...> I'm sorry for the long email.
Thank you, Proenca <No worries my friend. Bob Fenner>

Regal Tang Hi, <Hello> Four days ago we got a Regal
Tang (2.5-3 inches) and put it in our 55g tank with a yellow tang, a
cinnamon clown, two Bora Boras, four green Chromis, a Christmas wrasse
and a bass. None of the fish have been bothering the regal
except the yellow tang, just a tad. <I don't know
how large this tank is but unless it's huge, there most likely will
be a problem between these two. In fact, the regal my even become more
aggressive> The yellow tang has shown some signs of dominance but
that has occurred less over the last day. <The two critters might
adjust to living side by side> My concern is that I haven't seen
the regal tang eat since we have had him. He is beginning to
look emancipated. The fish appears rather neurotic and races
back and forth across the back wall of the tank, never stopping to eat
any of the seaweed we have out for him. <This pacing
makes me think that he's not adjusting to captivity very well.
Nothing you can do about that. This alone makes me wonder if your tank
is large enough. Both of these fish need a lot of space. You really
need at least a 100 gallons and 125+ would be even better to house both
of these fish> The yellow tang is eating the seaweed, but there has
been several hours in which the seaweed was available for the regal
tang and he did not even stop to smell it. Is there a food
product that he can not resist?? <Blue tangs really like
meaty items. As a starter food only, try some live brine shrimp. Brine
shrimp is not for long term use. If that works, after a few days I
would try some Mysis shrimp and then various meaty fare. He'll
eventually come around to the seaweed> Any other advice... I think
we are running out of time fast. How many days will a fish
last with out eating, how long do these fish usually take to acclimate?
<They can last for quite a while with no food. I had a blue tang
that came home from the store eating. He eventually outgrew my 100
gallon tank and I had to trade him in at the LFS. There really is no
rule for these types of things. All fish are individuals. Some just
plain hate captivity> Thanks, Sue <You're welcome! Consider
perusing our information on blue tangs at Wetwebmedia.com David
Dowless>

Adding A Tang Hi Bob, Thanks for your previous advice
regarding green water. After weeks of panic, it gradually cleared
over a couple days for whatever reasons ... <Ah, yes... In a word:
succession... that and removal of nutrient by your skimmer> Anyway I
have another question and appreciates your expertise on this. I
currently have a Vagabond Butterfly and a Flame Angel for my 60G tank.
I am thinking of adding a Tang but the literature seem to
contradict in terms of compatibility, any ideas? <All sorts...
those of the genera Zebrasoma, Ctenochaetus and the smaller Acanthurus
will go. See pix, ratings on our site: Home Page > Also, I have
would the B/F eat pick on mushroom corals? <Probably not> Thanks.
Brian <You're welcome. Bob Fenner>

Purple Tang or Achilles Will a Purple Tang and a Achilles
Tang get along in a 58 gallon reef? If not, which one is more suitable
for a reef tank. Thank you, Rob <<The Purple (Zebrasoma
xanthurum) by far... the Achilles (Acanthurus achilles) has a dismal
survival record in captivity... What's more the Purple is a great
algae eater...Bob Fenner>>

Re: a Few Q's Hi Bob, Thanks for the reply ...... and in
almost record quick time :-) I think I may have mislead you regarding
one of the species of tang ....... I referred to a yellow tang , and a
regal tang ..... I should have specified these were Z. flavescens and
P. hepatus <Hmm, thanks for the clarification... regularly hear the
common names, "Palette", "Hippo", "(Pacific)
Yellow Tail Blue Tang" (to distinguish it from the Atlantic,
Acanthurus coeruleus)... applied to Paracanthurus hepatus... Regal,
Oriental, Clown... to Acanthurus lineatus... more of the dangers of
using common names...> respectively, and at the moment are 3"
and 5" respectively. This was directly in reference to: "1)
Is this proposed level of stock ok for my tank (with or without the
flame) 2) Compatibility, do you see a problem? And which tang would you
recommend I keep? <The Yellow Sailfin, Zebrasoma flavescens by a
long shot... more outgoing, better at helping to keep the tank clean...
but you could have both...> If you recommend that the clown trigger
should definitely be expelled from the system, then perhaps both tangs
would be fine ??? <Oh, yes...!> Cheers, Matt <We're
starting to state the same things in about the same ways... Be seeing
you. Bob Fenner>

Tangs Bob I have a yellow-eyed Kole tang and was thinking of
ordering a Naso tang. Will they happily co-exist, or declare war
on one another? Thanks, Matthew <<These two
(Ctenochaetus strigosus, Naso lituratus) do live together in the wild
(e.g. Hawai'i) just fine, occupying very different ecological
niches (the Kole or Yellow-Eye on the Reef, eating filamentous algae
and diatoms... the Naso, more above feeding on macro-algae,
invertebrates in the water column)... So they do typically ignore each
other in small/captive systems. Just a word of caution though, the most
common species in the genus Naso (no doubt what you're referring to
here), does need lots of room (a four foot long tank minimum), and will
be getting big as time goes by... Bob Fenner>>

Compatibility Which of the following would get along better
with a Zebrasoma xanthurum; a Acanthurus sohal or a Zebrasoma
flavescens. They would be introduced to a 75 gallon reef tank
with lots of nooks & crannies. Are there any wrasses I could
add to this tank? Which gobies are the most active? I want an active
tank without destroying or taking away the beauty of the corals.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Tom Mrosek
<<Probably the Sohal. Lots of wrasses would/could go in here:
Look at the survey articles on the labrids stored at
www.wetwebmedia.com... For gobies, my bet's on the genus
Phalaena... of those of this vast multi-family array that are offered
in the trade. Bob Fenner>>

Tang Compatibility Hi Bob, I love "The Conscientious
Marine Aquarist" and it is always on my night-stand. I have
a compatibility question. My tanks statistics are, 75 gal. FO ,
60 LR, 50 LS, Wet/Dry, Protein Skimmer, 20 Astrea Snails, 1 Red
Sea Sailfin Tang (med. size), 2 True Perculas, 2 Cleaner
Shrimp. I would like to add at least one other tang maybe
two, the purple sailfin or Naso would be my choice. Are both of
these compatible and if so should the new tang be slightly
smaller or larger than the Sailfin. One LFS says that the
Naso would be a better choice because of his different shape and
ability to resist parasites. Another LFS say that the Naso needs
a big tank because they are territorial unlike the Purple
sailfin. Thanks for any help. Wade <<Thank you for writing.
Actually agree with both livestock fish stores. Both species of tangs
could go, and I would make the Purple (Zebrasoma xanthurum) smaller (by
an inch or more)... and the Naso about the same size as your Z.
desjardinii... The Naso (N. lituratus) will be getting much bigger, but
I suspect you will have a larger system by then... If only one, I would
opt for the Purple. Bob Fenner>>

Compatibility Questions Hello fellows. I was wondering about
adding the final fishes to my tank: 120 gallons, good parameters. There
are only two postings on the Tang compatibility link. Perhaps this will
be the third! Here's the current inhabitants, all been there for a
month or more: Maroon Clown 2" Sailfin Tang 5"
Strawberry Pseudo 2" Black Cap Basslet 2" Scissor Tail Goby
5" 2 Orange Diamond Gobies 4" each Arc Eye Hawk 3" I
want to add: Saddleback Clown 4" Sohal Tang 5" Purple Tang
5" <No, no, and no. It is never a good idea to mix Clownfishes
unless you have a pair of the species. Sohal Tangs get too large and
aggressive, especially considering you already have another
Surgeonfish. And lastly, the Purple Tang is going to go head to head
with the Sailfin. Not the best of choices.> If this is no good, any
other suggestions? <You don't have any Butterflyfish, Angelfish,
nor Wrasses. Investigate these families. See if any interest you and if
you can properly care for them.> I am quite sure my filtration will
hold up to the bioload, at least this is more of a compatibility
question. Thanks as always. Matt <Keep looking and I am sure you
will find something. -Steven Pro>

Re: Live Sand Hi, <HELLLLLLLLO!> I
have a question about live sand. I have a 58 gallon tank
with 80lbs. of live rock and about a 2" sand bed in my tank. In
the deeper lighted areas of the sand, it has started to produce large
amounts of bubbles. It doesn't appear to do this in the
shaded areas. Is this normal? <Yep...Just the natural
processes going on in the sand> Is this the nitrogen given off by
denitrification processes? <With a bed this shallow your are
unlikely to get denitrification> I was always under the assumption
that nitrogen gas given off would be dissolved in the
water. All the water parameters are good: NH4 = 0ppm, NO2 =
0ppm, NO3 = <10ppm, etc. The fish and inverts appear
healthy and happy. <Nothing to worry about> As a side question,
is this tank big enough for either a Kole Tang or a Purple
Tang? I currently have the
following: Cirrhilabrus luteovittatus (Fairy Wrasse),
Stonogobiops nematodes (Striped Shrimp Goby) with Alpheus randalli
(Pistol shrimp), Opistognathus aurifrons (Yellowhead Jawfish),
(incidentally, and not to get off topic, should I be worried about this
pairing of the Jawfish and goby/shrimp pair?), Amphiprion ocellaris
(False Percula Clown), Gobiodon oceanops (Neon Goby), Nemateleotris
decora (Purple Firefish). <I think your tank is at capacity.
Besides...tangs, especially the purple (Zebrasoma xanthurum)...are very
aggressive. This tendency is even worse when you have them confined in
small tanks (like a 55) with lots of little fish. The tangs will
terrorize this peaceful tank. Leave it out...Pleeeeeeease?> Thank
you for all your help, <You're welcome! I'm glad to see that
you are researching before spending a $100 or more on a fish. This
habit WILL save you a lot of money and aggravation. David Dowless>
Erik Jorvig

Psycho Tang! Hi WWM Crew, <Hello! Scott F. with you
today!> I've had my 50 gall SW tank set up for almost 5 months
now and everything was going really well until a few days ago when I
moved my new flame angel out of quarantine (3 weeks) into my main
tank. As soon as he was put in, my usually peaceful Yellow
Tang went ballistic, chasing the angel around the trying to turn it
into very expensive sushi! I caught the Tang as fast as
possible and put him in my 10 gall QT tank for 24 hours while I moved
the live rock around in the main tank. <A nice move on your
part!> I then returned him to the main tank yesterday afternoon. The
aggression has settled a bit and now that the Angel is more used to the
surroundings, it has found some hiding places but the Tang will still
have a short dart after him every now and again. Do you think that with
time they may settle down or am I going to have to remove one of
them? I had always thought that these fish were generally
compatible and at the LFS they even had a tank full of yellow tangs
with a Flame Angel and there was no aggression at all. <Really hard
to say if the aggression will diminish. The tang can be a very, ahem,
"assertive" fish, particularly in a modest-sized tank. I have
seen many, many instances of this combination working out just fine.
It's really a matter of keeping an eye on the fish to make sure
that things don't get out of hand. Keep in mind that the fishes at
the LFS are in an unnaturally crowded situation, and, ironically, the
aggression is dispersed among the tangs. In a less crowded home set-up,
you will see an increase in aggression, because the lone tang now
becomes "king of his domain", and will try to stay at the top
of the pecking order.> Also, to add to the problems, the Angel had
about 8 small white spots on him this morning. <Uhh-Oh> Is there
any chance these could just be from stress and will disappear naturally
if/when things quiet down or should I remove the Angel to QT again and
treat for ich? <Well, I'd keep a very close eye on this guy for
the next day or so, ideally in the QT tank. It may very well be ich,
and there is a high probability that it was brought about by stress. If
the dots increase or do not diminish, I'd take action and medicate
him for ich, once you have confirmed that this is what you are dealing
with. Unfortunately, you'll likely experience the same aggression
from the tang when the angel is removed and returned. You may once
again have to "redecorate" the tank prior to his return. Of
great concern is the possibility that ich may be present in your main
system. Observe all fish in the tank closely, and be prepared to remove
them for treatment and let the main tank run fallow for 30 days or so
if it becomes necessary.> Thanks in advance for your help and your
brilliant web site. Matt. <Thanks a lot for your support, Matt. Do
use the disease resources on the wetwebmedia.com site to confirm that
you are dealing with ich, and how to treat it. Good luck! Scott
F>

Surgeonfishes: Tangs for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
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